‘Pogoń Ruska’: Polish Foundation Organizes Charity Auction To Support Kalinouski Regiment

The collected money will be used to buy medicines for Belarusian volunteers.

The Polish Pogoń Ruska Foundation organized a charity event to support of the Kastus Kalinowski regiment. Anyone can buy chevrons and T-shirts of Belarusian volunteers fighting in Ukraine by taking part in the auction.

The head of the fund, Rafał Roszkiewicz, told Charter97.org how Poles, Ukrainians and Belarusians help the Ukrainian struggle.

– Your organization has a very interesting name: Pogoń Ruska. How did you come up with it?

“When we started helping Ukraine, we weren’t organized in any way yet. We collaborated with the friendly foundation "Prometeusz dla Seniorów" named after the princes Chetvertinsky. The organization was headed by Prince Albert Chetvertinsky of the gentry coat of arms "Pogoń Ruska".

We’d decided to call ourselves in honour of Albert and his foundation. In my opinion, this is very consistent with the current situation (the name of the coat of arms "Pogoń Ruska" is consonant with the Polish phrase "Chase Russian" - Ed.).

– Tell us, please, what does your foundation do?

– I represent two organizations. I am the head of the Pogoń Ruska Foundation and a board member of AIDUA. First of all, the Pogoń Ruska is engaged in supplying Ukrainian hospitals with medicines. Hospitals order medicines from us, which we try to find in Poland and send to Ukraine. The second fund is looking for other humanitarian aid.

I can say that it all started with a group of friends on Facebook. We wanted to send a small package to a friend in Lviv. But this situation is "out of control." Now we have a 400-meter warehouse for Poles, Ukrainians and Belarusians to work in. We have sent 258 vehicles with humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Our permanent daily team consists of about 20 people. Another two hundred people help once a week or once every two weeks.

– Do you think that Polish society passed the solidarity exam after the start of the war in Ukraine?

– I think so. As follows from the research, until February 24, Ukrainians were one of the most unloved nations by the Poles, and now vice versa. On February 24, the Poles rushed to help and we passed this exam.

It seems to me that the Poles are helping, firstly, because the Ukrainians need help. Secondly, we understand that Ukrainians are now defending the whole of free Europe from Putin.

– Tell us more about the auction with chevrons and T-shirts of the Kastus Kalinouski regiment.

– We hold charity auctions, in addition to fundraising and donations. We have books with autographs of famous Polish authors or manuscripts of our friends. For example, the author of detective stories Wojciech Chmielarz and Jakub Ćwiek, a well-known Polish science fiction writer, give us their books.

Also, fellows gave us the chevrons of the Kalinouski Regiment. Funds raised from the auction will be used to buy medicines for the soldiers of the regiment. We plan to purchase several dozen first-aid kits with the most necessary for those who are at war.

You can support the Kastus Kalinouski by taking part in the auction on the Allegro.pl web market.